The Final Battle
by Hoshiko Usagi
Summary: Part 8 in th Senshi-trooper saga. When Makoto and Shin fail to return from their honeymoon, they must be rescued. tricky, as more than two lives is in danger.
1. The difference between the wedding march...

(Okay, people

(Okay, people! This is it! The battle between good and evil is right here. It's all of our heroes against Talpa and Wiseman. Will someone die? Who will it be? Well, give me your opinion, but I've already got someone in mind. Let's make this interesting: First one to guess who it is will get to beta all of my other fics and will have a say in what happens. I can't offer you anything else, but I'll be sure to include my thanks. Ami-chan, you ALREADY have that privilege, so you can't enter! Let's get started.)

Prologue

Benjamin peeked over the edge of the crib at his baby cousin, Sayotasho. He smiled at the gurgling baby. He was only five years older than him, so they'd basically grow up together. Sighing, he smiled indulgently and, taking a tissue, wiped the baby's mouth before tugging the small white jacket he was wearing into place. He then checked his own jacket and smiled. 

"Benjamin!" His mother trotted up to him, wearing her best white dress and hat. 

"You do remember your part, right?"

Benjamin grinned. "I'm the ring-bearer, mom. Of course I remember my part."

Bertie nodded then smiled widely. "You do your best. Make your father and me both proud."

"I will mom," he said, spotting Makoto ducking into a side room, her bridesmaids and flower girl following. This was going to be a great wedding. 

Touma blinked and, smiling, handed Shin another Pepsi, which he quickly drank. The cans were beginning to miss the trash can and fall on the floor as Shin threw them over his shoulder. Seiji looked up at Touma. 

"Are you sure he needs more caffeine? He's jittery as it is."

Touma shrugged. "It's either that or some of the beer I have here."

Seiji thought about it. "A jittery groom or a drunk groom…sounds just as bad to me."

Shin shot Seiji a murderous look and Mamoru smiled. "Don't be so nervous, Shin. You've been waiting for this for nearly six years."

"I know," Shin moaned. "But I can nae help it now."

Mamoru chuckled, then looked up as Benjamin poked his head into the room. 

"Mako-chan's here."

Ryo raised a brow and looked at his watch. "You mean she's just getting here? That's kind of late."

Shou grinned. "Be glad she's here at all, bud." His stomach growled and he looked expectantly at Touma, who sighed and threw him a Pepsi.

He had to smile-or at least smirk. Shin looked nervous. Very nervous. He chuckled and leaned over to his fellow shogun, Sh'ten. 

"I think if there weren't so many of us, Shin would just cut for it and run right now."

Sh'ten had to laugh at Naaza's words, because he was probably right. Shin and Makoto had indeed invited a lot of people. 

Since the two of them had gone gallivanting about together for so long, there really was no Bride's side and Groom's side. Sh'ten could, however, pick out A-ko and C-ko, who had managed to show up for the wedding. 

Somehow or another Miaka had made it out of her book-with Tamahome-and had shown up on his arm. Almost all of the superheroes had shown up, a noticeable exception being Superman. Word was that he had gotten caught up at the last second with some business with Mxyzptlk. 

As Bertie joined them, with Sayotasho, Naaza looked at his watch. What was taking them so long? 

Rei struggled with Makoto's veil. Makoto huffed a bit but sighed and smiled. This was her wedding day. Not even a veil that didn't want to stay on would spoil her incredible mood. 

Rei finally got the last pin into place and smiled. 

"You're all ready, Mako-chan."

Makoto sighed and smiled, looking around at her friends. 

"This is it," she said. "I'm finally getting married."

"Hey," Minako said. "Don't make the rest of us feel bad."

Then she laughed and hugged Makoto. "I'm so happy for you."

Usagi nodded. "We all are."

"So you still won't tell me what my surprise is?" Makoto asked. All the girls shook their heads. 

"It wouldn't be a surprise then," Ami said. "Now would it?"

Shin looked around nervously at the guests who at the moment were more preoccupied with talking amongst themselves than looking at him. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was almost time. Well, at least when they'd decided on a July wedding, they'd had enough sense to book a church with air conditioning. He glanced at the special guests that he and the girls had invited at the last second. He was glad they'd arrived, though they did account for more than ¾ of the guests present. Makoto would be very happy to see them. 

As music suddenly erupted over the speakers in the church, he paled. he watched as his Best Man, Seiji and the Maid of Honor, Minako came down the aisle first. Then cams Shou and Usagi. Then, of course, Rei and Ryo and then Touma and Ami. Benjamin and Chibiusa came down the aisle together, Chibiusa strewing the flower petals everywhere. 

As the organ struck up and the assembled guests rose, and as Shin finally saw his bride, all of his nervousness fled. He was sure he was doing the right thing. 

She walked up the aisle to him and, taking his arm, they walked up to the altar together. 

"Dearly Beloved…"

"Ron…Ron wake up!"

Ron jolted awake, then frowned at Hermione's disapproving look. 

"It's a long trip from England," he whispered. Hermione looked even more annoyed. 

"We came by Floo Powder!" she hissed irritably.Harry smiled. 

"Let's just enjoy the wedding, hmm?"

"Excellent idea," Draco said, taking Hermione's hand. Hermione smiled and let her head fall onto his shoulder. 

"…by the power vested in me…"

Hermione pulled out her wand. It was about time.

"You may now kiss the bride."

As Shin and Makoto kissed, the newly graduated houses of Hogwarts, as well as their teachers stood and began shooting sparks into the air, cheering. Makoto whirled and gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she recognised all of her former classmates. 

She smiled at them, then at Shin as they marched down the aisle together amidst clapping and cheering friends.

Ron had had his fill of cake and sat with Harry and Dean as couples continued to dance. 

"This wasn't so bad," Harry said, taking a sip of his soda. Ron muttered something and Harry frowned. Apparently Ron wasn't used to Draco and Hermione as a couple yet. He sighed and shrugged. It'd caught all of them off guard, but he suppose had he been trapped in a cave for several days with someone, he'd become friends with them too. 

As the songs changed, Harry blinked. More Muggles were sitting down...more wizards were getting up to dance. And no wonder, somehow or another someone had gotten the D.J. a disc with the Weird Sisters on it. Harry hadn't really had a chance to listen to their music the last time they'd played in Hogwarts, so he sat back and enjoyed it now-or tried to until Cho pulled him to his feet and dragged him out onto the dance floor. Ron sighed and grinned. 

"I guess it's just you and-" he cut himself off abruptly at the sight of Shadowcat marching off to the dance floor, Dean in hand. Dean mouthed an apology and began dancing with Kitty. Ron sulked. This was turning out to be absolutely horrid. 

He looked up as a girl about a year or two younger than he stepped up to him shyly. She smiled, her short brown tresses offset by the strip or white that ran on either side. 

"You want to dance?" She asked. Ron smiled. Definite Southern Belle. 

"Sure," he said. He stood and took her gloved hand. 

As they wandered out onto the dance floor, Professor McGonagall sighed and smiled. 

"I'm glad they invited us, this is nice."

Professor Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "This is very nice. I wonder if they'll live as witches or as muggles…"

"Well," Professor McGonagall said, smiling a bit. "I haven't heard that Makoto has snapped her wand in half. So I think we can expect their child to be accepted to Hogwarts."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed…"

Rei felt like collapsing as soon as she walked in the door, but unfortunately, she had people behind her. She walked into the living room and unceremoniously collapsed on the couch, her bridesmaid gown flaring for a second. It was circa ten at night. 

"I thought they'd never go on their honeymoon, it went so late!"

Ami nodded in agreement as she sat wearily on the other couch. "Well, at least everyone had fun."

Rajura carried in a sleeping Benjamin and laid him on the loveseat, smiling. "We're all tired. I, for one, am sleeping until noon."

Katzie held an also sleeping Sayotasho as she walked in and grinned. 

"And how is that any different from your regular routine?"

Rajura smirked at her, then picked up Benjamin. He nodded his goodnights to everyone then headed upstairs. 

Ryo sat as well and grinned a bit. 

"I certainly hope they're having more fun than I am right now."

His eyes glowed with a fierce intensity. It was time. 

Makoto sighed happily and pressed closer to her husband. Shin smiled and held her close, kissing her softly on the lips. 

"How are you, Mrs. Shin of the Torrent?"

Makoto giggled. "Just incredibly happy that we finally got married..."

Shin nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Too true, I never thought it'd happen."

He looked around the room of their hotel suite-and out the window at the moonlit mountains. He held his new wife closer and leaned in close to her ear. 

"We are going to have a great life...just you and me."

Makoto kissed him again. "I know we are..." she trailed off and frowned. Then she gasped, managing to grab a nightgown off of a chair before she whirled on the door in time to see a horde of Dynasty soldiers burst in. Shin yelled and reached for his armour orb, managing to get into his pre-armour before he and Makoto were both knocked unconscious. 


	2. Is it just me, or have they been gone aw...

Ch

Ch. 1

Ami frowned as she tried again to work her newest toy: her blender. Rei, Minako and Usagi had all asked for smoothies. And as it _was_ her blender, she was expected to make them. She looked carefully in the book then placed a few more chopped bananas in the blender, put the top on and hit "puree". 

She looked in at it after about thirty seconds and added some ice cubes, praying that this time the entire thing wouldn't explode as it had the last time. 

Someone heard her, and the banana and strawberry smoothies came out fine this time. She smiled sheepishly at the other four girls as she brought them out. 

"Mako-chan would have a fit if she saw the kitchen."

Minako took her smoothie and sipped it, her face contorting into a frown. 

"No word from her and Shin yet, hmmm?"

Ami shook her head. "Nothing. I mean,it's been a month. You'd think they'd have called us from the mountains."

"Weren't they only supposed to stay two weeks?" Rei asked. Usagi nodded. 

"Yeah, they were, but they easily could have decided to stay a while longer. I mean come on, they're newly weds, and I seem to remember Ami and Touma doing something similar a few years back," she said, grinning at Ami, who flushed. 

"Ugh. Don't remind me. The last few weeks were nice, but that first week was a nightmare. I hope nothing like that happened with them. They don't need that on their Honeymoon."

"Don't need what?" Touma asked as he came into the room. Ami smiled ruefully. 

"Don't tell me you've forgotten Skye."

Touma paled. "No, they don't need that. Mako-chan would definitely kill the girl before Shin even got to the place where they were fighting. I'm just lucky I got there in time before you turned the poor girl into a paraplegic."

"You're lucky I didn't set on you instead," Ami said, brandishing a pencil at him. Touma smiled sheepishly and continued into the kitchen, where a muffled "Oh My Gods…" could be heard. Minako looked critically at Ami. 

"It's that bad?"

Ami flushed. "Let's just say I have a big job ahead of me."

Bertie smiled as she changed the diaper on her nephew. His bright violet eyes looked up at her as she tugged a shirt onto him. She sighed, remembering the days when her own son was so small. She picked up Sayotasho and held him, singing a soft lullaby to him, and waiting for Katzie and Anubis to return from shopping.

She sighed as she sat back in a chair and watched him drift off to sleep. Everything was going so well for all of them. Rajura and Rubbeus had become friends again. Naaza had met Naru, and the two were beginning to go out. Prizma and Sh'ten were at that 'we're-so-into-each-other-no-one-else-exists' stage. Benjamin was having a blast playing with Chibiusa and Gohan, even if they both were roughly twice his age. Katzie and Anubis were beginning to plan out their own wedding, and Sayotasho was getting a chance to grow up away from the Dark Kingdom. Everything was going perfectly. 

So something was bound to happen. 

And she suspected that it already had. It was unusual for Mako-chan and Shin to go out and not call to see how everything was going. It was odd, to say the least. The other girls weren't worried, chalking their absence up to the fact that they were newlyweds. 

Bertie wasn't so sure, and she knew that if she talked to her husband, he'd concur. 

The only problem would be convincing the Senshi to set out to the mountains to investigate. 

Makoto gasped as the soldier forced open her mouth and forced her to eat: she'd refused any food the Dark Kingdom had offered her and it was like this every day. She wouldn't have it any other way: she'd rather go down fighting than become submissive. After the soldier was done, he left her alone in her cell and not for the first time Makoto wondered how much time had passed: It was hard to tell. She hadn't seen her husband since the time they'd been taken and she knew she was being held as bait for her friends. 

So where were they?

There was a possibility that they hadn't, for some reason, noticed their absence yet. There was also the possibility that they simply couldn't make it for another reason. 

Whatever it was, Makoto had faith that she'd be rescued soon. 

Then, then Talpa would pay. 

Sh'ten looked up as Naaza entered the room, humming softly. Sh'ten raised a brow. Since when did Naaza hum? Naaza glanced at the smaller man and smirked. 

"Something wrong?"

"There must be," Sh'ten said, his gaze dropping back to the newspaper he had spread before him. "You're in a good mood."

Naaza smirked again and, taking one of the smaller knives, hurled it at Sh'ten, the knife landing inches from his hand and cutting through the paper into the wooden table beneath it. Sh'ten calmly pulled out the knife and without glancing upwards hurled it back at Naaza, who caught it, grinning. 

"You're getting better. A month ago I'd have killed you like that."

"A month ago we were a little preoccupied with our defection," Sh'ten answered. "I don't think testing my reflexes was on your mind just then."

"You're the only one who needs it," Naaza muttered. Sh'ten raised a brow again. 

"Why don't you go bug Anubis? I'm busy."

Naaza glanced over Sh'ten's shoulder and frowned.

"The personals. Why are you looking through them?"

Sh'ten smiled and pointed and Naaza's eyes widened in shock. Sh'ten had sent out a personal to Prizma. Naaza chuckled. 

"You're a flatterer."

Sh'ten shrugged. "Prizma seems to enjoy it."

Naaza grinned and began rummaging through the refrigerator in search of some food. He frowned when he found none. 

"When is Makoto going to come back and cook for us?"

Sh'ten shrugged. "She and Shin aren't back yet is what I hear."

Naaza blinked. Not back yet? He frowned and left the kitchen, meeting up with Minako and Benjamin playing a game of wizard chess in the living room. He smiled to his godson and turned to Minako who had just lost a rook to Benjamin's excellent playing. 

"Minako, is it true that Makoto and Shin aren't back yet?" 

Minako blinked but nodded. "Yes, it is. Why?"

"Don't you think," Naaza said softly. "That it's odd for a senshi to be spending so much time away from her friends when something could happen and then she'd have no way to reach you? Isn't that why they scheduled a short honeymoon in the first place?"

Minako blinked again. Naaza was right!

"So…" she said slowly. "You think something's wrong?"

Naaza frowned. "There's truly only one way to find out."

Ami gasped as she took in the sight before her. Something had indeed happened. 

At the urging of Bertie, Rajura and Naaza, the entire group had gone up to the mountains to the resort where Makoto and Shin had gone on their honeymoon. 

The sight before them now was one of a struggle. 

Clothes were strewn about, the bed in upheaval and traces of blood were on the bed and around it.

The first thing the Senshi noticed was Makoto's henshin pen lying on a table.

The Troopers noticed that Shin's armour orb was gone…but his clothes weren't. 

The Shogun and Ayakashi Sisters made the most important discovery: in the wall, a deep gash. A gash, Rajura said grimly, that matched the type that the weapon of a Dark Kingdom soldier's might make. 

As Usagi sifted through the bed, she came upon a piece of paper with a symbol on it: a black crescent moon. 

She held up the paper for all to see and concerned looks were exchanged around the room. 

The Dark Kingdom most definitely had Mako-chan and Shin. 


	3. Speed vs. Strength

Ch

Ch. 2

Shin looked up groggily as the soldiers came in. They threw a plate of food down in front of him and left. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it, then crawled over to the food and slowly began to eat. He didn't see any other alternative. 

He'd transformed as soon as he'd arrived, but he was now dealing with Talpa directly. He knew it'd do him no good to keep wasting his energy. 

He wondered, certainly not for the first time, how far away they were keeping his wife. Not terribly far, he knew, but far enough that they couldn't hear each other. 

He also knew how absolutely stubborn his Ma-ko could be. If anything, she was probably in a worse state than he from her absolute refusal to let the situation play itself out. He knew his friends would come for him soon enough. 

His only concern was that Ma-ko would be hurt by the time they reached them. Hurt beyond healing. 

Rei's brow knitted in concentration as she tried harder to focus her readings. It was always difficult for the sacred fire to pinpoint anything or anyone in the Dark Kingdom, but she usually managed it.

She'd confirmed that Shin and Makoto were indeed in the Dark Kingdom but the information she was now getting was making no sense. 

She turned to the assembled group just beyond the door. 

"I don't think they're alone," she said softly. "I'm getting five life forces trapped in the Dark Kingdom."

"Five?" Mamoru asked. "You mean Talpa's taken three other people hostage?"

"It seems that way," Rei said softly. Rajura frowned. 

"I wonder who the other three are," he speculated almost to himself. 

Touma sighed. "It doesn't matter," he said softly. "We've got to go after them anyway, we can't just leave them there any more than we can leave Mako-chan and Shin."

"Then we prepare for a five-fold rescue?" Seiji asked softly. Ryo sighed deeply. 

"There's no other way."

The sisters and Shogun exchanged looks. 

"We can help," Anubis said simply. 

Usagi blinked. "Nani?"

"We can help," Anubis repeated. "We know that castle better than any of you. And we know the secret passageways."

"In other words," Naaza said. "We know how to get in and out quickly."

"Yes, but after five people?" Touma asked softly. "Gomen nasai, but that's a difficult task."

"But there's many of us," Katzie said with a smile. "We'll go in and out."

"Not you," Prizma said. "Not with a newborn. You stay here."

Katzie sighed but smiled indulgently. Sh'ten frowned. 

"My question," he said softly. "Is whether or not to bring the Senshi with us."

Minako frowned as well. "Turning into a bakan, are we? Of course we're coming!"

"Matte," Anubis said. "It's a valid question. We'll be able to move more quickly if we don't have you Senshi and Troopers with us. On the other hand, we may need the extra fighting power."

"So what it comes down to," Shou said after a moment. "Is which is more important: speed or power?"

"We're dealing with Talpa now, not with any middle men," Rajura said. "So I'd say power."

"You would," Rubbeus said with a slight smile. "But if we get in and out before Talpa really knows that we've been there, then there will be no need for us to do battle."

"And we can get in and out with five people?" Avery asked, a little uncertain. Ryo sighed. 

"It looks as if you'll have to."

Usagi raised a brow. "'you'?"

"Hai, Usagi-chan," Ryo said. "They're right. We can't go, we'll be more of a hindrance than a help.

Usagi sighed. "I don't like this, Ryo. Something about it just stinks."

"I agree," Mamoru said. "But there's nothing we can do. It's up to the Shogun and the Ayakashi sisters now." 

Benjamin couldn't help crying a very little as he watched his parents disappear into the Dark Kingdom. His mother and father had spent the entirety of the night before with him, and that had scared him. It had made him think that they may not be coming back. He stood at the edge of the wood, now, with the rest of h is friends and with his aunt at his side as three of the Ayakashi sisters and four samurai, plus one ventured alone and virtually unarmed into danger. Rei sighed and turned back in the direction of the house. 

"There's nothing left for us to do now except wait for them to come back with the prisoners."

"I'll begin making out beds," Ami said, going with her. "For any who may be injured."

Touma nodded. "A good idea, I'll help."

As the others turned and began to walk away, Benjamin remained a few more moments, looking at the space where his parents had just been. 

Somehow he knew that they all-including him-were going to have to help. 

Makoto shuddered as she vomited again. This was beginning to become an ever-present problem with her. The Dynasty had even taken to providing a fresh towel for her every day, a luxury she could not now afford to spurn. She now used the towel to wipe her mouth and sighed bitterly. Not only taken hostage by the Dark Kingdom, but sick within their castle as well. This was getting to be a bit too much. She had begged and pleaded with the soldiers to let her be with her husband, but to no avail. They'd remained separated. She knew that relief was on its way, preferably with her henshin stick and her wand. The question was how soon would it arrive?

And would she be far too sick by then to be of any help?

Rubbeus was careful not to trip any of the many alarms he knew were hidden in the corridor as the group slunk down the dungeons. They had disposed of the watch guards very quickly: they'd gone down without a sound or alarm being given, thanks to Naaza's poison. they were now checking within each cell for any of the missing persons-a time consuming task. The Dark Kingdom had as many cells as it had rooms, dungeons extending nearly a fathom or so downward. 

They moved in silence until they spotted two guards at the entrance to a dungeon. They made very short work of the two guards and peered into the cell. It was Makoto. 

Prizma and Bertie made their way in and helped the apparently sick senshi out of her cell. She looked at them in surprise. 

"Senshi wa?" (Where are the Senshi?)

Anubis shook his head. "We all decided they wouldn't come. It's easier for us this way."

Makoto nodded. "Have you found Shin?"

"Not yet," Avery said. "We found you first. Then there's still three others to worry about."

"Three others?" Makoto said, worried. "You don't think they could have gotten any of my friends from Hogwarts, do you?"

"It's a possibility," Rubbeus said grimly. "But we'll find them, whoever they are. In the mean time, I think we have some things I think you'll enjoy."

He nodded to Rajura, who handed her the henshin stick and, yes, her wand. She grinned when both were in her hands and in that second she was no longer a prisoner, but a soldier once more. Whispering her henshin phrase, she transformed into Sailorjupiter and grasped her wand tightly. 

"Let's find my husband."


	4. Rescue? I know not of this rescue of whi...

Ch. 3

A/N: What happened to my contest, eh? No one's guessing! Well, except for one person. No one gets to Beta if they don't get it right. here's a hint: It's a guy. Yep, that's all. Someone's BOUND to get it right. Gomen ne for the long absence, minna. I have a rather fickle muse.

Benjamin was watching some old silent movies he'd found in the basement. The placards were in English but he, being the boy he was, had already taught himself a good deal of the Language. The placard held up now wasn't a challenge for him. 

"The Immigrant," he read aloud. He smiled as the music played and the Black and White film began. Touma walked in, curious as to what all the childish laughter was about. Upon seeing the little white-haired boy perched in front of an old Charlie Chaplin movie, he smiled and went into the kitchen to make a bowl of popcorn for him. He mused that he might even watch the movie with him, he was a Charlie Chaplin fan himself. He walked out into the living room…to find that Benjamin was already munching on a box of Odango. He frowned. 

"Where'd you get that from?"

Benjamin shrugged. "I picked up the tin box over there," he pointed to where a tin full of candies had sat. 

"I looked in and thought that I wanted Odango…and it turned into a box of Odango. " He shrugged again and went back to watching the movie. Touma was stunned. Benjamin was only six! If this was what he thought it was…he decided to be very careful with his phrasing. 

"Benjamin," he said slowly. "If I wanted a soda, do you think you could turn this vase," he handed Benjamin a fairly inexpensive vase. "Into a bottle of Pepsi?"

Benjamin shrugged. He looked at the vase carefully. One moment it was a vase. The next, a bottle of Pepsi. Touma blinked. 

"Uh…could you turn it back?"

Benjamin nodded eagerly. Another concentrated look and the vase was back to its original shape. Touma took the vase back and peered at Benjamin in a very shrewd way. Benjamin blinked. 

"Daijoubu desu ka?"

"You can't mean that his powers are manifesting already!"

Touma frowned. "I can't think of any other explanation. We could easily have a DNA sample sent to Professor Xavier and see what he says."

Ami nodded. "That's a good idea, but I'd like to run it by his parents first…they really should be here."

Touma nodded and sighed a bit. "I know…well, we have Katzie,  she's closest of kin right now."

"What if she doesn't let us?"

"Well, something needs to be done," Touma said. "What if he decides he likes the refrigerator better as a block of ice or something?"

Ami shuddered a bit. This was beginning to sound a lot like an episode from that Twilighty Show about that Zone.* She sighed. 

"I suppose we've no choice. Until Rajura and Bertie come back with the prisoners, we've got to rely on Katzie as his guardian and ask her."

Touma nodded again. "Let's just hope she's of the same frame of mind we are."

_I don't think it'll be too much of a problem._

Touma and Ami both blinked and turned. Benjamin was smiling in a very kawaii manner at the both of them. It took them a moment to realise that it had been his voice they'd heard. Touma decided to take this another step further. 

"You mean you've talked to her already?"

_No, but I know she doesn't harbour any hard feelings towards mutants._

Ami blinked again. His vocabulary was far more extensive than she had thought. He knew words that he was too young to articulate yet. 

_Thank you, Ami-sama, though I owe most of it to my parents._

Ami glanced at Touma and frowned. Benjamin blinked and smiled again. 

"I'm sorry if I make you nervous, Ami-sama," he said out loud. "I'll try not to do it too much. It's just…easier for me that way."

Touma smiled kindly. "Just do me a favour and let me know out loud when you want to use that power with me, okay?"

"Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!"

Shin looked up sharply as the spells rang out. He stood as the door opened and he was knocked to the floor by a sobbing green, white and pink blur. He held his wife close, nuzzling his face into her hair for a few moments. He then kissed her softly and frowned at the acidic taste on her lips. 

"Ma-ko, daijoubu ka?"

Supersailorjupiter frowned a bit. "I'm a little sick-vomiting but nothing major."

He nodded. "Where are the guys?"

Jupiter now grinned in a way that told him she knew something he didn't. He stepped out of his cell and blinked in surprise. The Shogun and Ayakashi sisters, but no Senshi or Troopers. He raised a questioning brow at Anubis, who grinned a bit. 

"We figured we'd be the good guys for once."

Shin chuckled softly and quickly transformed. 

"So now we go back?"

"Shi-chan, we can't," Jupiter said. "There are three others we've got to get."

Shin frowned. "So we've got to press on for the other three." It wasn't a question. Naaza sighed and jerked his head down the corridor and the group set off once again. 

 "So what's going on??"

Rei resisted the urge to cast an exasperated look over her shoulder at Minako and instead continued to focus on the readings. 

"Shin and Makoto are together…and they've gotten the three others too!"

Usagi heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Do you know who they are yet?"

Rei frowned as she tried to extract the information from the sacred fire. 

"They're vaguely familiar…but they're different too. Gomen ne, I can't say just yet. Maybe once they come out of the Dark Kingdom…"

She trailed off and her eyes flew open. She cast a wry smile at a darkened corner. 

"Isn't this the wrong area for you?"

A low chuckle came from the corner and everyone now knew who stood in the shadows. 

"I admit I am unused to being in a Shinto temple. You see," here a foot wandered out into the light. "That I have removed my shoes." The voice became grave. "I'm afraid that your services will be needed."

Ami sighed. "The Shogun and Sisters?"

"Of course," The Ancient One affirmed. "This will be dangerous," he said. "I cannot guarantee that you will all come back."

Shou paled. He sighed and glanced about the fire lit faces and looked into the corner. 

"If they need us, we'll go."

Rubeus sighed in frustration. More than three-quarters of the dungeons searched and still no one else found. And he was getting nervous. Usually there were soldiers to patrol these areas, even if no one was being held. Where were they?

Rajura seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he'd suggested coming back for the other three in a few days. Anubis had shaken his head. 

"We can't," he had said. "It's all or nothing."

And so they'd all pressed on. Upon reaching the final corridor, they'd only taken a quick look down it and frowned in vexation. No guards here, either. Perhaps Sailormars had made an error?

They turned to return from whence they'd came and saw their way blocked. Rubbeus cursed, Talpa had let them wander down here so that it'd be harder for them to get out.  

Sailorjupiter activated her antenna in her tiara. 

"Well, let's go!"

It was an odd feeling-travelling with the Ancient One, that was. Touma didn't know if he'd ever truly be able to get used to it. 

Then again there were many odd things about this trip. Katzie had, of course, been left behind to care for Sayotasho. But Benjamin had been brought along. The Ancient one was, also oddly, fully aware of Benjamin's powers and was now explaining the extent of them to the rest of the group. When it was mentioned that he had telepathic and telekinetic powers, many of those in the group had developed uneasy expressions, not really daring to think anything inappropriate for a six year old. Thoughts about children's books and ice cream abounded. It rather annoyed Benjamin. 

Now the Ancient One was explaining that everyone had indeed been rescued, but that they were all in deep peril at the moment. Supersailormoon had asked the important question. 

"Who are the other three?'

No one could see the Ancient's face as he responded "I cannot tell you that."

Follow up questions had, of course, been asked but the Ancient refused to expand on his statement. 

Ryo sighed, frustrated. The infuriating thing about the Ancient One was that he had a habit of revealing enough to show that he knew something, but not revealing the thing itself until it was far too late.

Ryo only hoped that the games the Ancient One was playing didn't result in the death of Makoto or Shin. 

"Supreme Thunder!"

Quite a few soldiers fell, but of course that wasn't nearly enough to let them escape. Rubbeus grit his teeth and sent a series of powerful blasts at the soldiers, who took the hit without truly diminishing their ranks. Rajura cursed softly. They were in deep trouble if they didn't get out of this and soon. One of the soldiers made a lunge for Bertie. Avery, seeing what was to occur before it did, pushed her sister out of the way, but not without suffering a blow to the back which made her collapse to her knees. Everyone was around her in a second, fending off attacks while Kale tried to quickly treat her. 

There was nothing to be done, however, she'd suffered severe damage. He looked at Rubbeus with doubt in his eyes. Rubbeus' expression twisted and he turned with a new hatred on the soldiers attacking them. Bertie and Prizma began fighting fiercely to fend off the soldiers from their sister. Rajura cursed as more soldiers sprang up. 

"This is no good, we've got to take care of all of them at once."

"Web of Deception?" Naaza suggested. Rajura shook his head. 

"They'd have captured me before I could loose all of you."

Any other suggestions?" Prizma asked, her voice becoming high pitched. 

"Keep fighting," Rubbeus growled, blasting away half of the soldiers. 

_We're on our way…_

Rajura startled. He turned to his wife, who looked as confused as he. 

"You heard it too?"

"Yes…but how…?"

_Mom! Dad! Hang on! We're almost there!_

There was no doubt in Rajura's mind now that he was hearing his young son. The questions of how and why were pushed out of his mind when from behind the mass of soldiers before them he heard a very welcome sound. 

"Venus. Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

"Akuryo Taisan!"

Mars' attack was most effective, and froze the multitude of soldiers in place. The Senshi, Troopers, Benjamin and the Ancient One shoved through the frozen mass to the would-be rescuers.

"Am I ever glad to see you," Jupiter said to Mercury as she quickly checked her over. She then moved on to Avery as Mars blinked. 

"Ancient One, you said everyone had been rescued."

Rubbeus blinked too. "But we haven't found the other three."

The Ancient One smiled a bit and Bertie and Sailormoon turned to Jupiter in sudden understanding. 

"Mako-chan," Sailormoon said softly, smiling a bit as well. "You're pregnant."

"No wonder…" Anubis said softly. "Mars read five people trapped. And there were. And we rescued four of them at once without even realising it."

"So I guess that means you're having triplets," Bertie said, smiling a bit. 

"Don't celebrate yet," Mercury said, deactivating her visor and putting her computer away. "We need to get Avery back home, and quickly."

"A teleport?" Benjamin suggested. Naaza frowned. 

"Not this deep, we might get stuck."

"Then there's nothing for it," Jupiter said, gearing up her Oak Evolution. "Than to blast our way out while they're still under Mars' influence. Senshi! Together!"

"But Ma-ko-"

"Shi-chan, are you in this or not?"

Shin frowned. He had learned not to cross Jupiter when she was in Battle mode-most of the time-but now she was carrying his children. Did he really want to risk it?

Then again, as his wife had so aptly put it, there was nothing else for it. 

"Right. I'm in."

"Good," Sailormoon said, summoning her Moon Kaleidoscope. "We're going to need everyone's help. Rubbeus, you get Avery. Ready!" She said, gritting her teeth. The soldiers before her were beginning to stir. 

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Burning Mandala!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Crescent Beam!"

Ryo looked around at everyone and they all nodded. It was time for Hariel. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the familiar merging sensation, and a few moments later, Hariel in the Armour of Inferno stood before them. He raised his katana. 

"Rage of Inferno!"

Between the six attacks, they managed to clear enough of the soldiers to burst out past them. Rajura cast a sidelong look at the Ancient One. 

"Well?"

The Ancient One almost stopped to look at him.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to magically save us or something?"

The Ancient One shook his head, though still running. "There is nothing I can do, this is not my fight. I am powerless."

"Bull," Naaza said, running on the other side of the Ancient. "All those times you interfered on the Trooper's and Senshi's behalf and now when it comes to us, you can't help?"

"This is bigger than I," The Ancient One said. "I am not the one who is going to win. But you all will not win without my help."

"Big surprise," Rajura said. 

"Quiet!" Rubeus snapped. Rajura looked up. Seiji and Mars were straining to listen. Mars' eyes opened first, and she was frustrated. 

"I don't know which way to go," she said worriedly. "Rubbeus, which way is the way out?"

"West."

Mars nodded. "Right." She took out her wand and held it in her palm. Shou frowned. 

"Now isn't the time to-"

"Shut up!" the Senshi yelled at him. Shou blinked as Mars whispered to her wand. It spun around in her hand and pointed straight. 

"We have to go left," she said, taking off running. Shou looked at Mars in amazement. 

"What did you do?"

"Used a simple spell," she panted. " 'Point me'. Shows me which way is North."

"How-"

"Harry taught it to me," she said, grinding to a halt. She looked back at the group, which was now beginning to straggle quite a bit. She bit her lip and frowned. 

"We'll never make it out at this rate. We've got to rest, but if we do…"Anubis frowned and squared his shoulders. 

"You all rest. I'll use a darkness for our cover."

"Will that work?" Naaza asked. Anubis shrugged. 

"It may, It may, it may not. We'll simply have to wait and see."

Rubbeus nodded and set Avery down on the ground. Jupiter also sat on the ground, trying-and not succeeding-to hide the fact that she was having another bout of morning sickness. As Anubis brought down the darkness, Shou sighed and looked around them.   
The Ancient One had said that they may not all come out of this alive.

At this rate, no one was going to be alive.


End file.
